This invention relates to broadcast transmissions and, more particularly, to the editing of broadcast transmissions, such as television programs, by remote control during an original presentation and during recording of such programs.
As is well known, television programs are widely received by television receivers in residences throughout the country. More recently, an interest in the recording of television programs at home has developed, and suitable recording equipment for use in the home has become commercially available.
A factor to be considered in the use of recording equipment for recording a sporting event, and other subject matter of television and radio programs, is the occurrence of interruptions of the event due to advertisements, intermissions, and inclement weather conditions. In the case of advertisements, the commercial message of the sponsor of the television program is properly viewed during the original presentation of the television program. There is no need to view such commercial messages years later when the recording may be viewed. Indeed, the intent of the sponsor is publicizing his message has been fully accomplished during the initial presentation of the television program. It is, clearly, not the intent of either the sponsor or the viewer to have repetitive presentations of the commercial message over the many years in which the home viewer may view the recorded program.
Thus, it is seen that there is a need for the editing of television programs, as well as radio programs, during the recording of such programs in the home or at other locations where television sets are used. Typically, such editing by the deletion of commercial messages, as well as by the deletion of intermissions and interruptions of the program caused by associated inclement weather such as in sports broadcasts, is accomplished by the viewer himself in operating the switches on the control panel of such recording equipment.
It may also be desirable to edit the programs during their presentation. Thus, in the home where there are children, a parent may which to delete material requiring a mature audience, or have the television deactivated when children are to study or sleep. Other examples of circumstances in which material might be deleted are intermission periods during operas, plays, concerts, and other forms of art, as well as during "time out" periods in sporting events. Thus, the viewer deletes the unwanted material by stopping the reception and/or the recording process until after the interval of the interruption, at which time the viewer reinstitutes the reception and/or recording process.
However, a problem arises in the use of such television, radio and recording equipment when the viewer is away from his home, as might occur whether or not children are at home, and the recording equipment is set to operate by means of a timer, in that the viewer cannon personally perform the editing. Also, the problem persists even when the viewer is home in that such editing is an inconvenience to the viewer in his watching of the presentation of the program on his television set. Furthermore, in some situations, by the time undesirable subject matter is noticed, it may be too late to take effective action for editing the material of the program.